Has anyone been diagnosed on the autism spectrum as an adult?
I have suspected for some time that I am on the spectrum. I have suffered from anxiety forever - since I was a kid. I recognise a lot of the signs in myself now and wonder if it's worth pursuing a diagnosis, or should I just continue therapy?
If you have a diagnosis, how did you go about getting it?
6 Replies
Yes, I was diagnosed in my late 30s. I’m really happy that I did. I found the process cathartic and it’s helped in ongoing therapy with my psychologist. It’s also given me permission (for want of a better word) to be a little kinder to myself and set boundaries and stand up for myself in regards to what is good for myself.
It’s helped my psychologist understand my goals etc.
You won’t find me on Facebook advertising myself as an autistic self advocate etc but it’s definitely helped me understand who I am, I feel a sense of vindication in a way and relief.
Thank you for your answer!
So a follow up question: how did you pursue the diagnosis? Where did you start? What was involved?
At the time Autism diagnosis of Women in my state (SA) was rare. I also knew I pass as neurotypical on first meeting so I sought a diagnosis in Queensland from the Hearts and Minds clinic as they specialised in high functioning women.
Word had gotten out though and I know a woman recently was diagnosed through a local clinic who specialises in Autism diagnosis.
You don’t need a referral unless you want to use your mental health care plan to help pay for your diagnosis.
What state are you in?
I'm in VIC. I suspect I would be considered high functioning as well - I wouldn't have even considered myself to be on the spectrum until I read a lot more into how females on the spectrum present differently and I also started to realise that the anxiety I've suffered forever may be a sign/symptom. I'll look into it here. I have friends and family either on the spectrum themselves or who have kids on the spectrum.
It might be worth asking your family if they know of any clinics in your area.
My son is on the spectrum and I’ve always felt different, on the outer and like everyone else had information I didn’t.
You can be diagnosed by a psychiatrist. However, there's no treatment really. So if you need it to go easy on yourself, get it. Likewise, if you need support in the workplace, jobseeking or getting DSP then get it. Otherwise, there's no real benefit. You can get psychological counselling and social skills development without the official diagnosis. So weigh up the cost of finding out vs the benefit. I'm thinking the same about undiagnosed ADHD. But the difference is that diagnosis has medication I could access that is restricted from me without the label.